Electrical breakaway switching connector



Jul 27, 1965 T. K. c. HARDESTY ETAL 3,197,534

ELECTRICAL BREAKAWAY SWITCHING CONNECTOR Filed June 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 49 53 F IG.1. 4s

52 I 1 I6 44 i i 45 3- 36 35 3 s7 22 A %i 3, 24 I9 5 I8 64 INVENTORS |5 THOMAS K. C.HARDESTY DHEIMER BY ALLE J SON G. W. BAKER July 27, 1965 MULTI-WIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WITH IDENTIFYING MEANS Filed Sept. 1, 1961 2 Sheets-Shet 2 3fA gABCDEABCDE A BT. D

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United States Patent 3,197,584 ELECTRTCAL BREAKAWAY SWITCHlNG CQNNECTUR Thomas K. C. Hardest Ednor, and Allen J. Sondheirner,

Chevy Chase, Md, assignors to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed June 22, 1962, Ser. No. 234,648 6 Glairns. (6i. Nil-51.09) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

This invention relates to the field of electrical connectors and more particularly to a breakaway connector that is capable of performing certain switching functions simultaneously as the connector is separated.

In the field of electrical connectors there have been various schemes and devices developed which will allow the power transmitting connector to remain secure and operative until the moment at which it is necessary to disconnect the power. Such applications are mobile devices which require an outside source of power to start them, and which then move away from the source of the starting power. Among such devices are rockets, some airplanes, helicopters, bombs, and air dropped mines.

For the sake of safety, it is imperative that the electrical connections from the outside sources to the device be broken before the device moves away or takes off. Thus if the electrical connection remains unbroken at such time, injury will result to the connecting cable, some part of which must break if the device is to move away freely. Thus, in the case of bombs and air dropped mines, it is imperative that the device be armed simultaneously with ejection, that the condition of the bomb or mine be known to the operator at all times by the use of a monitoring cable and that any air retarding mechanism used on the bomb or mine be initiated simultaneously with the ejection of the bomb or mine.

Some of the prior art devices have utilized explosive means for separating the connectors and others have utilized the weak link principle, wherein one portion of the connector is released from the adjacent portion of the connector by breaking the connecting element along a groove or weakened portion therein.

The breakaway connector of the present invention has two main disconnectable parts. The female portion of the connector is mounted in a pressure hull and is so constructed that it will withstand an external pressure of approximately 1,006 pounds per square inch. The male portion of the connector is easily locked into position on the female portion to provide electrical contact to the interior of the weapon. This electrical connection provides complete monitoring of the various components in the weapon including the condition of the weapon relative to arming. As the weapon is being ejected from its normal position the male connector is disconnected from the female portion by a force on a bail wire of not less than 50 pounds and simultaneously therewith a plurality of switches connected to the female portion of the connector are actuated. The switches may be of the type normally closed or normally opened and are used to arm the device and to actuate any power relays and other mechanisms used in the mine or bomb.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved separable connector of the pin and socket type which is simple, rugged and compact in construction.

Another object is to provide an electrical connector of the switching type which is composed of two main portions which may be quickly and easily assembled and may be disconnected when subjected to a sufficient force.

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Yet another object is to provide a breakaway connector wherein the plug is self-retaining it locked in place within the socket, yet may be removed from the socket by a pulling force exerted either directly upon the plug or on the cable associated with it.

A further object is to provide a breakaway connector which is capable of maintaining a pressure tight seal regardless of the environment and having a receptacle and detachable plug wherein the parts are so related to each other that the plug may be instantaneously withdrawn from the receptacle either by an outward pull or by an angular pull or thrust in almost any direction.

Yet a further object is to provide a switching breakaway connector wherein the plug and socket may be quickly, easily and conveniently locked into engagement with each other, yet wherein the switching contacts remain in an airtight and watertight container.

A still further object is to provide a separable electrical connector of such construction that when the two main connector portions are separated, a plurality of switches are actuated simultaneously therewith.

Gther objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the inventive concepts presented herein become better under-stood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several figures hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the center line of the receptacle and plug constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with the connector shown connected together;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the plug and receptacle just after the plug has been released with the receptacle in the switching position; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

The switching connector as shown in FIG. 1 may be employed to a good advantage where it is necessary to connect the wires of a cable to the corresponding wires of a similar cable in a bomb or mine in such manner that the two cables may be easily and quickly disconnected and the power relays and other mechanisms in the mine are actuated simultaneously with ejection. The switching connector is of advantage because of its small size, the ruggedness of its construction, the positivencss with which it retains the main parts of the connector in an assembled relationship, the ease with which the connected parts may be assembled or disassembled and the ease of actuating the switching mechanism during ejection. The switching connector is also of a particular advantage in that it may be used in devices having a pressurized hull since the portion of the connector mounted in the device is capable of withstanding external presSure over 1,000 pounds per square inch. By utilizing a bail wire the main connector parts or" the switching connector may be moved apart without imposing any connector-separating strain upon either of the cables connected thereto.

Refer now to FIG. 1 which discloses a switching connector 11 mounted in a Weapon hull 12 by means of bolts 13. The connector is made up of three essential pieces. These pieces are the female connector 14, the male connector l5 and the switching mechanism 16. As shown, the switching contacts are located inside the weapon hull and are subject to the pressurized gases located in the hull. The connector housing 17 has an O-ring 1 .8 located in a groove 19 on the outer periphery thereof which provides a watertight seal between the connector housing and the weapon hull. Attached by screws to the upper portion of housing 17 is a protective cover 21 which provides a protection for switches is enclosed therein. The female connectors 14 are mounted in body 22 and are movable of a locking mechanism for the connector. of apertures and balls may vary with the strength of within housing 17. The movement of body 22 is limited on one end by shoulder 23 and at the other end by a limit stop 24. Limit stop 24 is an integral part of the ball release structure 25. The body 22 is composed of a metallic composition and has a guide pin 2% mounted therein for aligning the body with a groove 2t) in housing 25. The female contacts 14 are rigidly mounted in a plastic retainer 27 located in body 22. Alignment of the pins and the plastic retainer surrounding the pins in body 22 is achieved by a locking arrangement between the body and the plastic retainer. ment includes pins 31 located in apertures 29 in the body 22 which is forced into a recess 28 in the plastic retainer. This arrangement locks the plastic retainer in place and thus insures that the female contacts will remain in a predetermined aligned relationship. Shaft 32 is bolted onto the body portion 22 and becomes an integral part thereof. A metal disc 33 is mounted in the bottom portion of shaft 32 so as to completely seal the shaft opening. The contacts extending through the metal disc are located in apertures 34 and held in position by fuzed glass seal headers 35. I An external groove 36 on disc 33 has an O-ring 37 mounted therein which makes con-V tact between the disc 33 and the shaft 32 to provide a watertight sealed connection. At the mid portion of shaft 32 there is an exterior circular groove in which an O-ring 39 is mounted to provide a watertight sealed connection between the shaft 32 and housing 17.

At the top of housing 17 is a washer 41 which has a key portion 42 that fits within a slot 43 in housing 17 and Within a plastic housing 44. The plastic housing 44 surrounds the female switching contacts 45 and, as shown in the FIG. 1, is composed of two portions. While the plastic housing 44 is shown in tWo separate pieces which are riveted together, it is considered obvious that this housing may be made of a unitary structure, if desired. Male switching contacts are mounted in a two-piece plastic housing 47 which is mounted on collar Collar 48 is locked onto shaft 32by nut 49. The two-piece housing for the male contacts as provides an easy method for changing any male contact from a shorting to non-shorting condition as the need arises. The male contact shown in FIG. 1 is of a shorting type'and makes continuous con- 7 tact with the female connection until shaft 32 is moved to a second position. In the second position as shown in FIG. 2 the female contacts ride upon the plastic in- The locking arrangesulator 51 of the male contactor opening the circuit. By

arrangement of the shorting and non-shorting male con-' tacts any desired switching arrangement within the Weapon may be accomplished. A spring 52 concentric with shaft 32 and located between washer d1 and collar 48 maintains the switching connector normally in a first position. Connector leads 53 are soldered onto the contacts in metal disc 33 and provide the electrical connec-' tion to the male switching contacts 46 through the center of shaft 32. A strain free connection is provided to cable 5 5 by forming the plastic shield into a square body 55 that fits within a square housing 56 located in housing 44. Thus any pull or strain developed on cable 54 is taken up by the interlocking body 55 within housing 55 thus avoiding any strain on the soldered contacts of the female switching contacts 45.. A lip 57 integral with body 22 has a plurality of apertures 58 therein. A ball 59 is mounted in each of the apertures and forms a part spring 52. In normal operation 3 locking balls have been adequate for locking the connector together. The ball release structure 25 closely surrounds lip 57 with a close tolerance. tain the release balls in a normal locking position. male plug 15 has a plurality of male contacts 60 that The number 6 The ball release structure is utilized to main- V The enemas within the airpla e by means of various leads located in cable 61. The plug housing maintains the male contacts 6% in a predetermined relationship for alignment with the female contacts. The male plug housing has a retaining ringtiZ that has a plurality of L shaped race Ways or ball grooves 63 that may be aligned with the balls in lip 57, as shown in FIG. 2. The L shaped race ways allow the retaining ring to be inserted within the lip portion 57 and be rotated into a locking position. When the retaining ring is rotated to the locking position any pull applied to bail wire od-is transferred to the body 22 and shaft 32 which compresses spring 52. The bail wire is located over an arm on the ejector rack in such manner that a pull will be exerted thereon only as the Weapon is ejected from the bomb bay.

FIG. 2 illustrates the switching connector immediately after the male connector 15 has been released by a pull force of 50 pounds or above applied to the bail wire.

As the pulling force is exerted on the bail wire, the body and shaft will move into a switching position thereby compressing spring 52. The male connector is locked in a connecting position by release balls 59 until the lip 57 is pulled out of the housing 17 a sufficient distance so that the balls are not restricted by the release structure 25. In this position the male connector will become disengaged. Also in this position the switch contacts have been moved from a shorting to a non-shorting position, or vice versa, as the case may be. The switches will remain in this position several milliseconds (depending on ejection rate) which is sufficient time to initiate the power relays and other mechanism in the bomb including the air retardation mechanism, if any; As soon as the male connector is disengaged from the female connector the body and shaft are returned to the original position by coil spring 52.

As shown in FIG. 3, it is possible to provide this unique switching connector with a plurality of switches 16 by v arranging the male contacts as as required thus allowing the weapon to be completely unarmed until sufficient force is applied to the bail wire, such for example, as ejection from an aircraft.

Obviously many modifications and variations of this device are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is: V

1. An electrical breakaway switching connector comprising a male connector, a female connector, and a switching mechanism, said female connector having a hollow elongated housing and a body member positioned in said housing and being relatively movable with respect I and body member are interlocked, means to'releasably make contact with the female connections located in body 22 when the plug is placed into position. The male contacts 60 make electrical connection to a power source lock said body member and male connector in direct engagement with one another, said switching mechanism comprising third and fourth sets' of electrical contacts, said third set being rigidly mounted on said housing and said fourth set being mounted on said body member for movement therewith, whereby when force 'is exerted to separate said male connector from said body member,-

ing said fourth set of contacts to actuate the switching mechanism prior to release of said male connector by the locking means, and subsequent to said release, the spring causes the body member to return to its first position and thereby return said fourth set of contacts to their initial position.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises a plurality of balls, a lip extending from said body member and having a plurality of ball receiving apertures formed therethrough, a ball release structure attached to said housing for engagement with said balls, said male connector having ball engaging L shaped grooves formed therein, whereby withdrawal of said male connector from said female connector moves said body member until the balls slide out of engagement with said ball release structure to permit said balls to move out of said ball receiving apertures and when the separation is completed and the body member is permitted to return to its initial position.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising stop means formed on said ball release structure to limit the outward movement of said body member.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said third set of electrical contacts comprises a plurality of electrically conductive pins having a nonconducting coating formed over a portion of their length and said fourth set of electrical contacts are in sliding engagement With the surface of said pins, said pins being mounted in a pin support housing consisting of two portions which are readily disassembled to facilitate reversal of a pin to make said pin normally conducting or normally non-conducting as desired.

5. The device of claim 2 further comprising a bail Wire connected to said male connector.

6. The device of claim 1 further comprising a bail wire attached to said male connector.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,857,486 10/58 Hubbell et al. ZOO-51 2,986,613 lS/61 Figueira 20051 FOREIGN PATENTS 859,039 12/52 Germany.

KATHLEEN H. CLAFFY, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, BERNARD A. GILHEANY,

Examiners. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL BREAKAWAY SWITCHING CONNECTOR COMPRISING A MALE CONNECTOR, A FEMALE CONNECTOR, AND A SWITCHING MECHANISM, SAID FEMAL CONNECTOR HAVING A HOLLOW ELONGATED HOUSING AND A BODY MEMBER POSITIONED IN SAID HOUSING AND BEING RELATIVELY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT THERETO, SAID BODY MEMBER HAVING A FIRST SET OF ELECTRICAL CONTACTS FIXED THERETO, A SPRING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HOUSING AND SAID BODY MEMBER TO RESILIENTLY BIAS SAID BODY MEMBER TO A FIRST POSITION AND IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE MALE CONNECTOR, SAID MALE CONNECTOR HAVING A SECOND SET OF ELECTRICAL CONTACTS OF THE SAME NUMBER AS SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID SECOND SET OF CONTACTS BEING ALIGNED ON SAID MALE CONNECTOR TO ENGAGE THE RESPECTIVE CONTACTS ON SAID BODY MEMBER WHEN THE MALE CONNECTOR AND BODY MEMBER ARE INTERLOCKED, MEANS TO RELEASABLY LOCK SAID BODY MEMBER AND MALE CONNECTOR IN DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE ANOTHER, SAID SWITCHING MECHANISM COMPRISING THIRD AND FOURTH SETS OF ELECTRICAL CONTACTS, SAID THIRD SET BEING RIGIDLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING AND SAID FOURTH SET BEING MOUNTED ON SAID BODY MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, WHEREBY WHEN FORCE IS EXERTED TO SEPARATE SAID MALE CONNECTOR FROM SAID BODY MEMBER, THE LOCKING MEANS CAUSES SAID BODY MEMBER TO MOVE WITH SAID MALE CONNECTOR FROM SAID FIRST POSITION TOWARD 